ANKARA

At least two Turkish soldiers were killed and three others injured in an attack in northwestern Syria, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

The attack occurred after a search and scanning operation in the Idlib de-escalation zone, according to a statement by the ministry.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent condolence messages to the families of the killed soldiers.

Turkey’s National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar expressed condolences for the fallen soldiers and wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured.

Later in the day, Akar and senior Turkish military commanders visited the injured soldiers at a hospital in the southern Hatay province.

Condolences from Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s defense minister offered condolences to Akar and Turkey’s military chief Gen. Yasar Guler.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of the death and injury of servicemen of the fraternal Turkish Armed Forces in the Syrian city of Idlib as a result of a treacherous attack,” Zakir Hasanov said in a statement released by Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry.

“I pray to Almighty Allah for the repose of the souls of the lost, share the sorrow and grief of their relatives, and express my deep condolences to their families. I wish a speedy recovery to all the wounded.”

Hasanov also voiced support for Turkey’s anti-terrorism efforts.

“I express confidence in the successful completion of the counter-terrorism operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces and wish you success,” the minister added.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia in March 2020.

The Syrian regime, however, has consistently violated the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Over the past decade, some 500,000 people have been killed and more than 12 million displaced in Syria.